Cigar-vending machine.



No. 884,186. PATBNTBD APR.7,1908.

M; R. MEREDHH.

GIG'AR VENDING MACHINE.

APPLI'OATON FILED OUT-8. 1907.

A TTOH/VE YS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATBNTED APR. '7, 1908.

MB. MBREDITH. GIGAR VBNDING MACHINE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AIPLIUATION FILED 00T. 8,1907.

, n /Nr/E/vof? Mmm R. MEHEmTI-I 5 Y ATTO/m5 ys is e. plan view with the box ol cigars rctomatic vending machine designed to be opdeliveringI from a box one or more cigars, or

' in. a single cabinet in the manner shown and snalt.

i an,

MEL() R. MERED'FE, OF WABASH, INDIANA.

CEGAR-VENDXNG MAGHNE.

Application filed. (ntober Specification or? Lettere Patent.

Patented April 7, 1908.

, 1997. Serial No'. 396,373.

To aZZ whom t may concern: i

Be it known that l, MiLo R. Mnnnnrrn, a citizen of the United States, residing at lvlfae bash, in the county of VJabash and State of l Indiana, have invented a new and useful lm- My invention is in the nature oi a new auerated by a motor and gears set into operation by the deposit of a coin. Itis intended rimarily tor the vending of cigars, but may e employed. for vending packages or units of any other kind ot merchandise which are of uniform size.

rl`he invention consists in the ,novel construction and arrangement of the carrying and delivering mechanism for selecting and packages, as will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of my carrying and delivering mechanism, with a box of cigars on top of the same. Fig.

moved and Figs. 3 and 3 are details in perspective-of devices for holding the box and supporting the cigars.

The carrying?r and delivering mechanism herein shown represents one vending unit, of Which there may be any number assembled described in the United States latentsNo. 323,954, seems and sagesse, Jim@ 1o, iene.

plurality ol these units designed to provide for a variety of styles, prices, and number ol' cigars to be delivered for a single coin, but as my invention relates only to the carryiig and delivering mechanism, l have not shown either the cabinet or the coin controlled devices and have onlfY shown the motor in dotted lilies at (E for actuatingl my carrying and deliveringmechanism.

A represents a still' rectangular metal framework having iournaled its opposite ends two horizontal shafts S carryingr rigid sprocket wheels i3 B one at cach end oi the Around these sprocket whe-insy there is dist-ended an endless carrier belt conn posed ol chains at each .side conm-tried by slats and carrying a series ol' tr nsvcrsc rollers c approximately oi' the size el a cigar and saaced a art a distance far enouirh from cach other to receive a cigar or other packageto be vended. The upper run of this carrier belt is sustained in true horizontal position by a subjaeent table surface F.

X is a cigar box which is the original box in which the cigars are packed for sale, 4but with its bottom removed. This bottomless cigar box is sustained above the carrierbelt in a manner to feed its cigars to the carrier belt as follows: At each end of the main frame are fixed a pair of vertical holding plates l) D one of which D rests inside :the vertical end wall of the cigar box, and the other of which D' rests outside the vertical end Awall of the box and the two together tightlyhold said end wall between them. The inner end plate D is'made taller or higher than the outer plate D and has hinged to' it by means of an axial rod e2 near the ton a movable wing E formed as a flat metal plate bearing at its free edge a small roller e'. -On' the under side of each wing E is attached a bent spring strip e' which rests u on the top ol the rollers c of the carrier be t and prevents the wings E from dropping down too low. The two superposed Wings E E extend in inclined position toward the middle of box and form a sort of movable hopper bottom which sustains the cigars and gradually feeds them one at a time down into the cells oi' the carrier belt.

The plates l) D which form holders for both the box andthe Wings E are constructed with right angnlarly bent base flanges,` vas seen in Fig. 3, which have transverse slots d in them, so that when the plate D', Fig'. 3, is seated adjacent the plate l), as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and set screws d (l Fig. 2 are put through the slots and screwed down to the frame, the plates D D are firmly held a predetermined distance apart as seen at :c in Fig. just for enough apart to receive the wooden end walls of the cigar box,l as shoun in Fig. l. One or both pairs of plates are formed with the slots d disposed longitudinnlly to thc hclt to permit the pairsof plates to receive between them cigar boxes of different lengths. When these plates are tightl)r adjust-cd to the ends ot the cigar box the latter is held immovable against strains in all directions.

.ln operation the bottom taken ont of the cigar box and the box is placed on the framework, the ends resting in the spaces :e as seen pelled forward in the direction oi' the arrow.

by the motor or other actuating device, which has been released by the deposit oi the proper coin, the forward wing E with its roller on the lower end moves Up and down as it passes over the roller on the endless carrier belt, the small adjustable strip of tin underneath the wing forming a stop or guide and preventing the roller in the lower end of the wing from dropping below the center of the roller on the endless carrier belt. The roller in the forward wing smoothly rides over the cigars in the con veye rs on their way to the delivery end and over the roller conveyors, thus accomplishing the work oi' separating the cigars without injuring them in the least and in the gentlest manner possible. The rear wing trails and drops into the empty roller conveyer cells as they approach and is raised as the roller conveyor passes under and in contact with the roller in the end of the said rear wing. Thus, while the endless roller conveyer belt is in motion the two wings by rising and falling inside the box keep the cigars sufficiently agitated to facilitate their falling into the roller conveyer cells as the roller conveyers pass beneatn the box, the front wing performing the double lunetion of agitation and separation. The rollerson the hinged wings and on the endless belt are intended to prevent abrasion of the wrappers of the cigars and to accomplish the separation of the cigars without injury.

Between the rollers c ol' the endless belt are troughs or seats t made of sheet inetal which receive the cigars and cause the rollers .e to ride up over the rollers c on the be t, so that said rollers c cannot get under the rollers c and thus lock the belt. lluithcrmore these troughs may be varied in size to suit diilercnt sizes of cigars without changing the distance between the rollers conthe belt. The troughs t extend up to about the middle of the rollers r, but do not touch the saine.

I claim 1. A vending machine, comprising an endless carrier belt with receiving cells, and one or more hinged. wings arranged at an incline above the carrier belt and oscillated by the same to promote the transfer to the belt of the superposed articles to be vended.

2, A Vending n'iachine, comprising an endless carrier belt having transverse rollers forming cells between them and one or more hinged wings arranged at an inclino above seance the carrier belt and oscillated by the passage of said rollers.

A vending machine, comprising an endless carrier belt with transverse receiving cells, and one or more oscillating wings hinged on an axis transverse to the belt above the same and having a roller along its free edge riding upon` and agitated bythe belt.

4. A' vending machine, comprising an endless carrier belt having transverse rollers forming cells between them and one or more hinged wings arranged at an incline above the belt and riding upon the rollers and having underneath the same a stop to limit the downward movement of the hlnged wings.

A vending machine, comprising an endless carrier belt having transverse cells and two superposed wings hinged at their outer edges transversely to the belt-and converging downwardly toward each other in the middle and having beneath them sto ps rest-- ing upon the carrier to limit the downward movement of the wings.

(j. Avending machine, comprising an endless carrier belt having transverse rollers forming cells and two superposed win s hinged upon axes transversely to the be t and having at their free edges rollers riding upon the rollers of the carrier belt.

7. A vending machine, com rising an endless carrier belt, a stationary ramework and two pairs of holder plates for iirmly holding a box above the carrier belt, each pair of plates consisting o1 two members each bent at a right angle andhaving a perforated base flange to receive retaining screws, and one pair of saidl lates having its perforations made inthe fbrm of slots arranged longitudinal to the belt to accommodateboxes of varying lengths.

8. A vending machine, com rising an endless carrier belt, a stationary giameworkand a pair of holder plates for a superposed bOX consisting of two detachable and right angularly bent plates with means for securing them together and to the framework, the inner plate having also hinged to its upper edge a movable wing resting above the qarrier belt.

9. A vending machine, comprising an endless carrier belt having transverse cells, a stationary subjacent supporting table 'for the upper run of the belt and two superposed hinged wings pivoted on axes transverse to the belt at their outer ends and converging downwardly towardthe belt in the middle and vibrated by the passage of the belt.-

10. In a vending machine, an endless carrier belt having a series of ,transverse rollers journaled on its outer surface to form intervening carrier cells and troughs arranged in said cells.

11. A vending machine comprising an end- 

